Apparatus for detecting, identifying, and validating the existence of buried objects

• US 6,626,078 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Thornton, Anthony L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Troy
• Application Number:
  US09/725,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 86/50, 89/11.3, 102/402, 102/403, 244/17.23, 244/190, 434/32, 342/22, 342/29
• US Class Current: 89/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/12 Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines

Abstract

A system for detecting, identifying and validating the existence of ordinance located atop or buried beneath the ground including at least one aerial platform capable of powered flight, a base station including apparatus for launching, storing, and refueling the at least one aerial platform, the base station further including apparatus for communicating with the aerial platform, and a control station remote from the base station and including apparatus for communicating with the base station such that a human operator at the control station is capable of communicating flight path instructions to the base station to be communicated to each of the aerial platforms.

Claims

1. A system for detecting the existence of buried objects, said system comprising:

at least one aerial platform capable of powered flight,

a plurality of object detection sensors on said at least one aerial platform,

a base station,

a communication link between said base station and said at least one aerial platform,

a plurality of additional aerial platforms, and

a control station remote from said base station and including means for communicating with said base station, means for defining a region to be inspected by said at least one aerial platform, wherein the means for defining a region to be inspected by said at least one aerial platform further defines a plurality of overlapping sub-regions to be inspected by the plurality of additional aerial platforms, and each of said at least one aerial platform and the plurality of additional aerial platforms includes a collision avoidance sensor; and

means for displaying locations of objects detected by said at least one aerial platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one aerial platform is unmanned, and comprises a body portion housing engine means, flight control apparatus, and a communication relay for communicating with said base station.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the body portion of each said aerial platform includes nodal portions arranged about the periphery of said body portion, said nodal portions housing said engine means.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said nodal portions comprise two in number.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said body portion comprises a deltoid configuration, and said nodal portions are disposed at end regions of the larger side of said body portion.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said nodal portions comprise four in number.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said body portion is disposed centrally of said nodal portions to form, with said nodal portions, an “

X-shaped”

configuration.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said object detection sensors includes one of:

an electromagnetic sensor, a metal sensor, a chemical sensor, and a video sensor.